Flasher



April 27, 1937. E H. PENDLETON 2,078,583

FLASHER Filed April 1o, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 .LIE L HH! IIIIII ATTORNEYS.

April 27, 1937- E. H. PENDLETON 2,078,583

FLASHER Filed April lO, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z4. F/ f6 f7 INVENTOR. UW/f7 Hen/"g fend/@fon ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 27, .193?

Edwin Iii. tlendieton, Venice, assigner to Econolite Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation oi Galiiornia Application M9, i933, Serial No. iiiiilli My invention relates to means :tor giving an interrupted electric current and especially related to a device utilizing an interrupted eiectric current for indicating and illuminating purposes.

An object oi my invention is to provide means for operating an indicator such as a gaseous disBn charge tube preferably of the neon type, with. a very small amount of electric current.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for giving an interrupted or repetitive dash to a tube such as a neon tube, over a long period of time without attention to the appa ratus.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electric current interruptor in which interrupting contacts are utilized in a fashion to inhibit deleterious contact conditions.

The foregoing and other objects are attained .in the embodiment of the invention shown. in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of a ilasher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the flasher shown r in Figure l, a portion being broken away to dis- 2" close the interior construction.

Figure 3 is a cross-section the plane ci which is indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure i.

Figure 4 is a cross-section the plane oi' which -is indicated by the line d--l oi Figure 2.

3 Figure 5 is a front elevation of a sign incor porating the flasher ci my invention therein,

Figure 6 is a diagram of a circuit useful in conjunction with the asher oi my invention.

In its preferred form, my rlasher inciudes a timing device which is effective to drive a periodically vibrating contact arm which in Vturn controls an electric circuit including an indicator such as a gaseous discharge or neon tube, for providing a repetitive series of flashes in the tube.

In the preferred form of my invention lV preierably provide a. ashlng unit, generally designated 6, which incorporates a housing l' having a cover plate 8. Within the housing is situated a spindle 9 which at its upper end is contoured to seat a ball il on which rests a pivot block i2. The pivot block is joined by a metal tube |13 surrounding the spindle Ii, to a relatively massive metallic disc I4 in effect forming a momentum device or y wheel. Due to the single pvot bearing, the fly wheel turns with a minimum of friction.

In order to constrain the ily wheel toward one extreme position, I preferably encompass the sleeve I3 with a spiral spring I6 having one end (Zidi-MU anchored on the sleeve i3 and the other end fastened to the casing 'i by a conducting arm il,

The described conducting parts provide a circuit from the arm il through the spring and the sleeve i3 to the disc ifi. Mounted on the disc is an abutment it which, during oscillatory :moveu ment oi the disc lt, describes a path into which projects an extension l@ of an armature fil. it its upper end the armature is provided with a pair of ears 22' carrying an axle 23 mounted in an eared bracket fastened to a support E@ on the cover plate t. Situated on the member is an electromagnet 2l having a core 23 in mag.- netic juxtaposition with the armature 2i. A leaf spring 2Q on the armature assists the spring iii in maintaining the armature away from the core but when the core is energized the armature is attracted thereto and imparts an impulse to the disc ifi, causing an oscillation thereof, against the urgency of the spring iti. When, however,

lthe core 2@ is de-energized the springs 29 and i@ 2@ are eiective to return the armature to its original spaced position and against a bumper spring mounted on a bracket $32 on the cover plate il.

Since, as shown in Figure 6, the circuit ior the electromagnet 2l preferably includes a lead 25 extending from a source of electromotive force, such as a battery to the electromagnet, and is completed-through a master switch 3S and a lead to the disc i@ and through the abutment i8 and the armature i9 to the coil, when the arma 30 ture is in Contact with the abutment the circuit is completed, providing the master switch is also closed. This mechanism is therefore effective to give a succession of impulses to the oscillating disc lll at equally spaced intervals, so that the mechanism is in eect a timing mechanism with the disc making oscillations within predetermined timed periods and with considerable accuracy.

In accordance with my invention, I make use 4:0 of the regulated impulses from the driving or timing mechanism, to aiect a contact arm having a natural period of vibration. To this end there is mounted on the cover plate 8 a support ii to which is secured one end of a relatively long 45 leaf-spring fl?, preferably constructed of phosphor-bronze or comparable material. The contact arm 32 at its opposite end is provided with a contact 43 and can also be provided with a weight l to establish at a desired value the natural pe- 50 riod of vibration of the contact arm with respect to its base iii. The contact arm is restrained in its amplitude of movement by an upper stop 46 which constitutes a bracket secured to the cover plate 8, and by a lower stop 41 which conLtltutes an adjustable screw mounted in the cover plate 8.

In order that driving movement from the timing unit may be imparted to the contact arm 42, I preferably dispose on the sleeve I3 a cylindrical face cam 48 the lower periphery of which is suitably contoured to contact one arm 49 of a crank I journaled in a bearing block 52 mounted on the cover plate 8. The other end 53 of the crank is situated below the vibratile contact arm 42, and, in the at-rest position of the apparatus, or in the position at the end of a cycle, bows or stresses the contact arm 42 from its natural position and against the upper stop 46. When, during the rotation of the disc I4, the cam releases the arm 49, the arm 53 no longer abuts the contact arm 42, and in resuming its normal shape from a vstressed condition the contact arm 42 is set into vibration with a natural frequency.

In order to vary the period of vibration of the contact arm, I preferably mount an adjustment, generally designated 56, on the cover plate. This adjustment comprises a crank 51 carrying a cam surface 58 adapted to abut the underside of the contact arm 42. The crank 51 is rotatable in a supporting block 59 secured to the cover plate. By rotating the crank 51 to any selected position, the fulcrum of the contact arm 42 is varied within a reasonable range to alter the vibration period.

The movements of the contact arm are utilized to control an electrical circuit, and to this end I preferably place in association with the contact 43 a second contact 6I which is mounted adjacent one end of a second contact arm 62, at its other end anchored'as at 63 to the cover plate 8. The second contact arm 62 has its own natural frequency of vibration which, due to the smaller size of the arm and its different mounting, is preferably a faster frequency than that of the arm 42; so that for each vibration of the arm 42 several vibrations of the contact arm 62 occur. Thus, when the contact arm 42 is strained, as shown in Figure 2, and subsequently released, it makes several complete oscillations, at the end of each striking the contact 5I and setting the f contact arm 62 into vibration at a much faster rate, so that in effect a plurality of abutments occur between the contacts 43 and 6I for each operation of the crank 53. The adjusting screw 41 is important in changing the amplitude of vibration of the contact arm 42 to affect the number and duration of contacts between the points 43 and 6I.

The contacts 43 and 6I control the primary winding 66 of a transformer 61, so that for each operation of the crank arm 53 the primary coil 66 of the transformer is energized and de-energized a plurality of times. This energization is effective correspondingly to energize the secondary 68 of the transformer, which is connected in an electrical circuit with an indicator such as a gaseous discharge tube 69, preferably of the neon type; and therefore a plurality of very short but rapidly successive flashes is produced in the tube 69 for each oscillation of the disc I4. Preferably, the flashes in the tube 69 are of such frequency and duration that, due to persistence of vision, a sequence of apparently continuous flashes spaced at short times apart appears to an observer.

The arrangement is such that the primary contact arm 42 may make flve or six relatively longappearlng flashes for each oscillation of the disc I4, and during each of the four or ve apparently long ashes the secondary contact arm 62 provides several interruptions, so that, although each flash may in itself appear to be complete, it is in fact in turn rapidly interrupted in order to save as much electrical current as Possible. The strain on the battery 34 is reduced to such an extent that an ordinary neon tube 69 can be supplied with current from a standard battery to flash for a period of from six months to a year without renewal and without attention. The relatively long life of battery insured by the extremely small consumption of current makes it possible to install the flasher of my invention in a sign 1I, for instance, which includes a standard 12 on which is mounted a casing 13, hollow in its interior to contain the battery 34 and the flasher unit, and on its face carrying a neon tube 69 bent to form an indicium. f

Since this mechanism is designed for extremely long operation without attention, it is important that the contacts 43 and 6I be held apart in the event of failure of the mechanism or in the event of pitting of the contacts which might normally tend to leave the circuit closed and cause a severe drain on the battery. To this end I provide means for positively separating the contacts in the event the current passing through them should for any reason become excessive.

As particularly indicated in Figures 2 and 6. I mount an electromagnet 14 within the housing 1 and arrange the electromagnet with its core 16 immediately below the contact 6I. The electromagnet is preferably connected in circuit from the battery 34 by a lead 11 which extends to a contact 18. Co-operative with the Contact 18 and normally in abutment therewith, is a contact 19 joined to a lead 8| extending to the electromagnetic coil 14 and from thence to the contact 6I. In the event of only normal current flow, the electromagnet 14 is not sufficiently energized to have any effect, appreciably, upon the contact 6|, but in the event of excessive current flow the pull of the electromagnet 14 is sufficient to separate the contact 6I if it should be stuck to the contact 43 and to pull the contact arm 62 sufficiently toward the core 16 so that the contact arm 62 touches the contact 19 and pulls it away from the contact 18, thereby positively breaking the circuit. In the event the contacts 43 and 6I do not further stick, the mechanism returns to its normal operation; but in the event the sticking continues, a successive break is made in order to prevent major drain on the battery 34. As a further precaution to preclude burning or arcing of the contacts 43 and 6I, a condenser 82 is preferably connected in parallel with the contacts 43 and 6I.

As a further precaution vto inhibit severe alteration of the contact faces, I preferably include in the circuit a pair of contacts 83 and 84 which are carried by supporting arms 86 and 81 mounted on the cover plate 8 and connected between the primary coil 66 and the battery 34. The arm 86 is provided with a projection 88 adapted to be engaged by the cam 48 during the latter part of the rotation thereof, so that the circuit to the contacts 43 and 6| is broken after the desired number of flashes have been effected but before the contact arm 42 stops vibrating. In effect, therefore, several blows are given the contacts 43 and 6I to flatten any peaks that might have been built up thereon because of previous current flow.

In the event the flasher is to be utilized on a road sign, such as 1I, which is remote and not susceptible to attention, or is unattended for long periods, I preferably include in the circuit 9,979,599 -from the battery 34 avsun valve 9i oi the char-= I acter disclosed in my patent entitled Sun valve,

issued April 16, 1935, under Number 1,997,598. This valve is effective to open the circuit from the batteryI 34 when the sun shines on the valve 9| and to establish the current flow when darkness arrives. Preferably, it is mounted on the top of the sign casing 1I, as indicated in Egure 5, and affords an automatic control of the periods of operation of the flasher.

I claim:

1. A flasher comprising an electric asher circuit, a pair of contacts controlling said circuit, a vibratile lcontact arm carrying one of said contacts, a second Vibratile contact arm carrying the other of said contacts, a periodically effective timing means for imparting a succession of regularly recurring driving impulses to said contact arms, and an abutment for varying the initial point of exure ci one of said contact arms to vary the frequency of vibration of said contacts.

2. A flasher comprising an electric yflasher circuit, a pair of contacts'controlling said circuit, a vibratile contact arm carrying one of said contacts, a second vibratle contact arm carrying the other of said contacts, timing means for periodically imparting a driving impulse to one of said contact arms, and external means in the path of one of said contact arms for restricting to less than the natural amount the Vibratile movement of said contact arm only.

EDWIN H. PENDLETON. 

